Do you need some writing inspiration? Contests are a great way to spark your creativity, and you may even win a prize! Get your best work together and consider entering the WOW! quarterly flash fiction contest with guest judge, literary agent Jennifer Thompson with Nordlyset Literary Agency. Stop by the contest page, download the pdf guidelines, and read all about Jennifer’s preferences. The Summer Contest is open to all genres of fiction between 250 - 750 words. Only 300 stories are accepted, so enter early to ensure your spot in the contest. This season, we've raised the cash prizes! Deadline: August 31, 2018. MORE >>

WOW! is proud to introduce our newest essay contest! Writers have been asking us to host an essay contest for many years, and we’ve finally listened. The mission of this essay contest is to inspire creative nonfiction and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. Your story must be true, but the way you tell it is your chance to get creative. We are open to all styles of essay—from personal essay to lyric essay to hybrid essay, and beyond! Word Count: 200 – 1,000 words. Only 300 stories are accepted, so enter early to ensure your spot in the contest. 1st Place: $500. Deadline: October 31, 2018. MORE >>

Whether you are looking to boost your income or work on your craft, we know that education is an important part of a writer’s career. That’s why WOW! handpicks qualified instructors and targeted classes that women writers will benefit from. All of the courses operate online and are taught one-on-one with the instructor. The flexibility of the platform allows students to complete assignments on their own time and work at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. Visit the classroom page and check out our current line up of workshops: fiction writing, writing for children, screenwriting, creativity, memoir, personal essay, grammar, food writing, freelance writing, novel writing, blogging, social networking for authors, independent publishing, branding for authors, poetry writing, copy editing, literary devices, working with a literary agent, writing scenes, book reviewing, travel writing and more. MORE >>

“There will never be a time when everything in your life is done, set, and perfectly in order, and you can just sit back, relax, and write,” warned Colleen M. Story, author of Overwhelmed Writer Rescue. All of us deal with the reality—go to work, take care of families, do cooking and cleaning—while pursuing our dreams as writers. Suggested methods of increasing productivity will help you make the most of the writing time you have now and create more writing time in the future. MORE >>

I wrote the first draft of my historical novel, Hour Glass, in sixteen days. You read that correctly—sixteen days. My experimental novella, Tattoo, was written in about three weeks. Both have been released in 2018. Though I am intensely proud of this accomplishment, I’m not telling you to brag. I’m telling you that you can do this, too. Michelle Rene provides writers with tips on how to write a book fast, how to get started, time management, managing distractions, the middle stick, and how to keep moving forward. Authors Sara Bale and Janet Shawgo also share their best tips. MORE >>

Pitching and writing for a publication when you are among their target audience makes a writer’s job easier. Unfortunately, we can’t just rely on our age, gender, occupation, or interests to pay the bills. Since it can take a long time to get a response from an editor and see the article published, we need to pitch more often to make a decent living, even if it means leaving our beloved comfort zones far behind. I’ve talked to writers who broke into widely different markets: 20-year-olds writing for AARP, women writing for Esquire, the queen of frugality writing for an upscale wedding rental company, and more. MORE >>

“Who hasn’t wondered: am I a monster, or is this what it means to be a person?” This is the question that burns through Monster Portraits, a question that is explored, teased, and unwound but never finds resolution in Sofia Samatar’s hybrid blend of fantasy and memoir. This book seeks understanding, but not definition, of the human experience of monsters and monstrousness. Sofia agreed to share her thoughts on Monster Portraits as a genre-bending speculative memoir, and how she approaches taboos and challenges and stays true to her artistic vision. MORE >>

Coming up with a great idea isn’t enough. As writers, we also have to find the right publication for it, and this is often easier said than done. And what if that publication turns us down? How do we know that our idea was valid, but it just wasn’t a good fit? How do we come up with alternative publications? Do we give up at some point, or do we keep going? Pinar Tarhan chats with freelancers Olga Mecking, Pauline Campos, Kristy Rice, Diane Shipley, and Debbie Weingarten on these topics and more. MORE >>

Humor is a tool all writers should have in their toolbox, but especially when writing for children. Making kids laugh while they are reading creates an emotional connection to the work and makes it a memorable experience. That connection with the reader is what all writers crave. And thanks to pioneers in children’s literature like Dr. Suess, writing fun and entertaining books for kids is a valued pursuit for writers. Kerrie Flanagan interviews Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), John Erickson (Hand the Cowdog), Gordon McAlpine (The Misadventures of Edgar and Allan Poe), Ursula Vernon (Dragonbreath), Lisa Doan (The Berenson Schemes), Devvie Dadey (Adventures of the Bailey School Kids), and literary agent Kelley Sonnack with the Andrea Brown Agency about writing humor for children. MORE >>

I’m sure you’ve read the conventional wisdom on choosing a niche: combine your passion and knowledge, keep it narrow but not too narrow, and work until you’re seen as an expert in your field. This works, sure, but for us writers it’s only half of what your niche could be. Depending on how you want to spend your work hours, there’s a whole other interpretation of the word niche because your niche is more than a topic. It can also be a specialty, a certain format or type of writing. Kristy Rice shares twenty eight specialty niches that could sustain a lucrative writing career. MORE >>

Today, the internet offers everyone “opportunity equality.” Okay, maybe not exactly, but it does even the playing field quite a bit. As a home or small business owner, while you may not have the same marketing budget or resources as a bigger company, you do have the ability to use low cost and even free online marketing strategies to create visibility, draw traffic (people) to your website, and convert visitors into customers or clients. Here are five steps to get you on the path of success. By Karen Cioffi. MORE >>

The results are in! After careful deliberation our honorable guest judge, literary agent Sharon Pelletier with DG&B Agency, has made her final decisions. Read the winning stories of the 750 words or less Spring 2018 Flash Fiction Competition. MORE >>

Statistics tells you not to do this. Don’t bother submitting to a writing contest because you aren’t going to win. The chances of winning the contest are so small that I actually wrote out the exact percentage here: ___ %, but you can’t see what number I typed out because it’s just that small. Who in their right mind would be crazy enough to even think about pursuing a literary victory with such microscopic odds in their favor? Well, us, of course. Writers. We’re all kinds of crazy. MORE >>

What else are we to do with our words but ready them to face the world? By fighting like a writer, we gain confidence and hope. There will be a momentary bit of time in which you truly believe that your words are readying to stand up for themselves. As you let them go, as you submit them for publication, you’ll see that what you are doing is advocating for their success—for your success as a writer who knows how to just go for it. So go for it. Take action. Fight like a writer and give everything you have to get your words heard. MORE >>

Are you ready to get published? Answer the yes or no questions that walk you from a final draft to submitting your work. The links go to resources, like places to find literary journals taking submissions or Chelsey’s previous columns for advice. See if you can spot the intentional typo.
This spreadsheet rocks! MORE >>

As writers, we might not know what it’s like to be an editor. Sure, we edit our own work, but there is more that an editor does than just fix sloppy sentences and question your metaphors. Understanding the editor’s experience of the submission-to-publication journey will help you to have frustration-free interactions with editors. MORE >>

Chelsey Clammer answers two important questions: 1) What should I submit? and 2) Where should I submit it? She also examines publishing choices and other choices you have when it comes to writing and submitting. MORE >>

Writers need resources. It’s why I do the submission consultations. I know things. I share with other writers those things I know, which makes me feel helpful and engaged. Like part of a community. Writers need guidance. So here I am, guiding you to an awesome writing community that can give you a lot of support because of its uber-resourceful characteristic: The Review Review. MORE >>

We asked WOW readers to turn in questions for Chelsey to answer about submitting your work, and the response was amazing! Writers had some great questions—everything from how to tell if feedback is real and when you should give up on a piece (after what number of rejections) to tips on writing humor and how to make your submission stand out from the rest. MORE >>

When you submit a super-personal poem, a revealing-of-others piece, or a taboo story, you have to be prepared for anybody and everybody to read your work. Because once published, you’ll need to be prepared for all types of responses, including possible backlash. MORE >>

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